Research Report

Planning and Developing Principal Pipelines: Approaches, Opportunities, and Challenges

Ellen Goldring, Mollie Rubin, Laura Rogers, Christine M. Neumerski, Anna Moyer, and Angela Cox
June 2023 | Wallace Foundation

This report from the Wallace Foundation looks at how districts have created comprehensive and aligned principal pipelines that benefit schools and students. The researchers share the actions districts took and what they prioritized as well as some impediments to their efforts in planning and developing leadership pipelines. The report concludes with a set of recommendations for other districts interested in creating or bolstering their pipelines. These recommendations include considering pipelines for multiple types of school leadership roles, not just the principalship; using pipelines to diversify school leadership and develop principals’ skills to support equity and inclusion; and developing a core central office team and dedicated leadership department to lead across pipeline domains.